I didn’t get that from listening to the Despot who is running our country. I had better things to do than listen to lying a scum bag tell us about the great job he thinks he has done. I spent my evening listing to the Pitt/Connecticut game. Even with a loss for my alma mater the evening was more fulfilling that listening to that windbag receive applause from his mindless minions.

I didn’t have to listen to George II to know what the state of the Union is. Look around.

Today 42 Senators in a meaningless gesture voted “NO” on Alito’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. That’s 42 Seantors who could have stopped this confirmation by voting “NO” on cloture if they really didn’t want this man to sit on the nation’s highest court. Some of those 42 Senators deserve the blame when Thomas, Alito, Scalia, and Roberts start rolling back the rights the court has staked out over the last half century and start dialing in dicatorial powers for the Preznit.

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Another story missing in action, Iran’s plans to open up their own commodity exchange, trading oil for Euros.

In essence, Iran is about to commit a far greater “offense” than Saddam Hussein’s conversion to the euro for Iraq’s oil exports in the fall of 2000. Beginning in March 2006, the Tehran government has plans to begin competing with New York’s NYMEX and London’s IPE with respect to international oil trades – using a euro-based international oil-trading mechanism.[7] The proposed Iranian oil bourse signifies that without some sort of US intervention, the euro is going to establish a firm foothold in the international oil trade. Given U.S. debt levels and the stated neoconservative project of U.S. global domination, Tehran’s objective constitutes an obvious encroachment on dollar supremacy in the crucial international oil market.

Could this be the real reason the United States invaded Iraq?
The threat to America’s PetroDollar hegimony.

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Where else can I be blindingly, obviously wrong on a consistent basis, never self-examine or hear criticism, never get held accountable for my failures, and pull home mid-six figures, huh?

Seriously, anyone who says Biden is worthy, plausible, or preferable Dem candidate in ‘08 deserves a kick in the nads.

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The wholly-heterosexual and definitely Republican General JC Christian, who happens to live here in the Soviet of Washington, staked his claim on Maria Cantwell’s uterus today.

Sen. Maria Cantwell
United States Senate

Dear Sen. Cantwell,

Thank you for voting to give me complete ownership of my wife’s uterus. Your vote against the filibuster means a lot me. I’ve been eyeing Ofjoshua’s uterine property for years.

I’d like to return the favor. It’s a shame that your own uterus continues to be unclaimed by any man. We can’t allow that–it’s just too much responsibility. That’s why I’ve decided to ease your burden by laying claim to it myself.

No need to worry about anything. Just give me a call if you want to use your my uterus, and I’ll decide whether to allow it.

Of course, you’ll need to tattoo the words “Property of Gen. JC Christian, patriot” on your abdomen or wherever it is you keep those things. Be sure to leave room for another tattoo in case I decide to sell your my uterus to someone else.

Heterosexually* yours,

Gen. JC Christian, patriot

*I’m not hitting on you. It’s just very important to me that people know that I’m a heterosexual. Cletis is a god damned liar!

Well done, sir. Well done.

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… is that they are remarkably top heavy.

That said, my countertop is the cleanest it’s been in 6 months.

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And to further erode the freedoms of all Americans this just in from the BBC. Some how this story has been overlooked so far by MSM in the United States.

A newly declassified document gives a fascinating glimpse into the US military’s plans for “information operations” - from psychological operations, to attacks on hostile computer networks.

The “roadmap” calls for a far-reaching overhaul of the military’s ability to conduct information operations and electronic warfare. And, in some detail, it makes recommendations for how the US armed forces should think about this new, virtual warfare.

The declassified document is called “Information Operations Roadmap“. It was obtained by the National Security Archive at George Washington University using the Freedom of Information Act.

Officials in the Pentagon wrote it in 2003. The Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, signed it.

The document says that information is “critical to military success”. Computer and telecommunications networks are of vital operational importance.

Now we have the US military spying on computer networks inside the United States to win the war on Cyber terrorism.

Constitution we don’t need no stinking Constitution, so much for our Civil Rights.

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I felt dirty after slogging through the freeper comments for the Jill Carroll update, so I thought I’d check out the polls they were trying to Freep.

Here’s one, on AOL.
1. Grade Bush’s performance A-F
2. Is the country better/same/worse since he came to office?

Over 350,000 votes in, and… the freepers are powerless against the reality based community. Bush is given an F by 45% of the respondents, and it’s 63/29/8 worse/better/same. Still, can’t hurt to throw your hat into the ring.

In conjunction with the Bloggies, this is good evidence that the right wing blogosphere is a steadily diminishing empty vessel. Just a bunch of hate-filled gasbags with no power against we, the People.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of racist, fascist fucktards.

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20 Democrats abandoned their party and abandoned their people today, by refusing to vote to resist cloture or by actively voting to stop discussion about the nomination of Sam Alito to the Supreme Court.

20 Democrats just aided the end of Roe v. Wade, the diminution minority rights, and the expansion of the power of the Executive.

These same Democrats are going to vote against confirming Alito on the floor tomorrow. When it is too late. Much, much too late.

I will do everything in my power, from here until the day one of us dies, to remove these Democrats from power. Here is the list. A ‘Yes’ means they voted for cloture; in other words, to end debate and bring the confirmation to the floor where only a majority approval is required. Bold is for the ones I would kick in the nuts twice instead of just once. Because it would make me feel good.

Akaka, Daniel K. (D-HI) Yes
Baucus, Max (D-MT) Yes
Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM) Yes (nice job, NM)
Byrd, Robert C. (D-WV) Yes
Cantwell, Maria (D-WA) Yes. One of my senators. You’re toast, sister.
Carper, Thomas R. (D-DE) Yes
Conrad, Kent (D-ND) Yes
Dorgan, Byron L. (D-ND) Yes
Harkin, Tom (D-IA) NV NV. Pussy.
Inouye, Daniel K. (D-HI) Yes
Johnson, Tim (D-SD) Yes
Kohl, Herb (D-WI) Yes
Landrieu, Mary L. (D-LA) Yes
Lieberman, Joseph I. (D-CT) Yes. Support his possible opponent - Ned Lamont
Lincoln, Blanche L. (D-AR) Yes
Nelson, Bill (D-FL) Yes
Nelson, E. Benjamin (D-NE) Yes
Pryor, Mark L. (D-AR) Yes
Rockefeller, John D., IV (D-WV) Yes
Salazar, Ken (D-CO) Yes

The party establishment has failed and is a continuing failure. Reid is a failure as a minority lead. Private parties such as NARAL screwed the pooch. Surprisingly, Biden and Jim Jeffords voted no.

The DSCC will not see a cent of my money. The DNC will not see a cent of my money. So long as we are locked in a two-party system, they will get my vote if the opponent is a Republican, but as for the rest of the time, the Democratic party can go fuck itself.

You know the phrase “mad enough to spit tacks?” Well, I think I fully understand it now.

I don’t want to hear about “we tried.” I don’t want to hear how “elections have consequences.” All that we learned today is that the Democratic establishment is worthless. An opposition party that can’t slow down the opposition for even one day, not even to deny an evil, mendacious, fucktard of a President his gloating achievement on the day of the State of the Union address, is not much of an opposition party. An opposition party that can barely get half of its members to unify to try and stop a judge to the right of Bork and only a bit left of Attila the Hun? We have failed? Nay, the senators failed each and every one of us.

So enough of your rah rah homilies Digby and ReddHedd and kos and Matt (also, ReddHedd, please stop with the baseball metaphors. You’re making baby FSM cry). While we’re at it, a big F U to the amazingly banal and ignorant Kevin Drum. 25 votes may have been remarkable, historically-speaking, but it is insufficient. Our legal landscape has just become beholden to the American Taliban for the next 30 years. Fuck your good cheer. It’s time to burn the house down and rebuild anew. A special Fuck You goes out to all the Dems who supported the idiotic “keep our powder dry” strategery they pursued in not fighting the Roberts nomination.

Excuse me while I go and drink a toast to the country that I used to know. A country that shines on only in memory now.

My letter to Cantwell after the jump. FWIW, I also sent thank you letters to Kennedy and Kerry for leading the filibuster charge and Murray for voting no. I didn’t have it in me for the other 22, but I’ve got their backs.

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scAlito’s in, no filibuster. I have a longer post on this topic, but I’m waiting for a full list of the 20 Democratic traitors who voted aye on cloture.

I do know that among them is my own Senator Maria Cantwell.

The term “rage” springs to mind.

More later.

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I’ve got a serious case of the Mondays over here. The playground is all yours.

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January 11, 2006

Establishing democracy to replace the tyrannys will assist in defeating terrorists — George W. Bush

January 29, 2006

We do not provide funding, money to terrorist organizations. Hamas is a terrorist organization. — Sean McCormack

Here we have what could be identified as the Bush Paradox.

Tyrants cause terrorism —> Democracy will help us defeat Terrorists —–> The Democratic process elected Terrorists as leaders. —-> We can’t support Democratically elected Terrorists ——-> We can support unelected tyrants in Saudi Arabia etc that are friendly to us.

Perhaps the Bush Administration actually accepts Arrow’s Paradox, which simply and incompletely stated says that the only voting system that isn’t flawed is a dictatorship.

If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier
- so long as I’m the dictator. —George W Bush

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Check out what Mark Shapiro just did:

swapped Coco Crisp for supermegaawesomeprospect Andy Marte
Josh “no stick” Bard for Kelly “blocked but good” Shoppach
David Riske for Guillermo Mota
+ cash.

Net: -1 decent OF, + at 3B (big need for Indians) and C, = at relief.

But he’s not done. Oh, no.

Swaps A. Rhodes for J. Michaels.

Net: -1 good reliever, +1 OF ~= Crisp.

net of all this: More depth, great prospect at 3B, slight downgrade at a position (relief pitching) that is both easy to fill and where they have tons of depth. They traded a guy they didn’t need for one that they really did, and managed to fill the just-created hole anyway. All for almost no cost.

I can understand why the BoSox did it - I don’t agree, but I understand. They needed to win now and needed an OF. The cash on top of it all seems ridiculous, but when you’ve got their budget, you probably don’t care all that much. The Phillies? Not so much, except that Rhodes is a Gillick guy, and he helps Philly in their attempt to recreate the 2001 Mariners.

The only question mark here is Marte’s shoulder. If it’s damaged more than public information has it, he may never pan out instead of becoming Aramis Ramirez+.

In a nutshell: I love Mark Shapiro and I wish he was running the M’s.

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Great mockumentary of a couple hard core role players. If you’ve been there, you know this is true. Good times.

Amazing what people can do for very little money these days, huh. Digital camera, some software… a tripod… a couple people from the acting workshop… a park bench…

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I really need to stop eating breakfast during Meet the Press. Bill Frist almost made me throw up this morning.

Tim Russet Challenged Frist with a word for word quote that Frist had made on CNBC regarding his HCA stock:

So far as I know. I own no HCA stock. …It’s a blind trust. Totally blind.

Russet pointed out to Frist, that this statement was a lie. Frist knew that he owned HCA stock. If he didn’t, how the heck was he able to tell the trust manager to divest it?

First’s reponse was:

I could’ve been more precise. What I should’ve said is that at any point in time, because this is a blind trust, I have no idea how much stock of any particular entity is in at any point in time.

God, he’s as accomplished at spin as the Preznit. How many people can take an outright lie, “I own no HCA stock” and with a totally straight face try to sell it as being the less precise equivalent of “I don’t know how much HCA stock I own”

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Make sure to eat some noodles and, I’m told, an orange.

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